Scholarships awarded to five Taiwanese research students

A former palliative care nurse. A marine biologist and rescue diver. A pharmacist-turned-sociologist. These are among the diverse group of Taiwanese students awarded a prestigious scholarship to start PhD studies at the University of Sydney this month.

The group of five students will undertake research projects across science, business, medicine and health, supported by the Taiwan – University of Sydney Scholarship.

The scholarship, co-funded by the University of Sydney and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan), covers tuition fees and an annual living allowance. It is offered annually to up to five postgraduate Taiwanese students.

The recipients for 2022 include Cheng-Ya (Gloria) Lee in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Ting-Tse (Jack) Chen and Chia-Ying (Danna) Chen in the University of Sydney Business School, and Tsai-Hsuan (Tony) Hsu and Tsung Jen Hung in the Faculty of Science.

Cheng-Ya (Gloria) Lee’s background as a palliative-care nurse sparked a passion for helping people with dementia and their carers. She plans to investigate the role of caregivers in dementia rehabilitation, seeking to improve outcomes for patients and reduce the burden for carers.

"As a nurse, I realised there was a need to speak up for people with dementia and their caregivers because they are likely to receive insufficient support and have limited access to healthcare services," she said.

For Lee, receiving the PhD scholarship after completing her Master’s at the University of Sydney was "just like winning the lottery".

Tsai-Hsuan (Tony) Hsu is a qualified rescue diver with a Master of Science in Marine Biology and Fisheries from National Taiwan University.

Tsung Jen Hung has a background in pharmacy and sociology. He will combine these areas of expertise in his research into the modernisation of traditional medicine in Indonesia.

In the University of Sydney Business School, Ting-Tse (Jack) Chen, who has a double degree in science and business administration, as well as a Master of Information Technology degree, will bring his expertise in computer science to the world of business. He will examine whether artificial intelligence can be used to answer business questions, such as whether a marketing campaign is responsible for an increase in revenue.

Also in business, Chia-Ying (Danna) Chen has a background in marketing and digital platforms. Her research will examine the effectiveness of activities across online and offline channels in a retail context.

"It’s been my dream to study abroad since I was a child," she said. “I’m excited about the University of Sydney’s world-class educational resources and its community of students from diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas with.”